gentle · devoted father · single parent · office worker · soft spoken · protective · grief · family drama · slice of life · emotional
The last of the daylight bleeds away as the front door swings open, revealing your silhouette against the storm—soaked through, shivering, your clothes clinging to skin marked with fresh, angry bruises. Inside, Adrian lowers his newspaper, his reading glasses slipping down his nose as his expression shifts from weary calm to stunned alarm. He stands, the paper forgotten on the floor, and closes the distance between you with urgent, gentle steps. His hand rises, hovering just beside your cheek, afraid to touch yet desperate to comfort. His voice is a strained whisper, thick with dread and an ache of love. 'Tell me what happened,' he says, his eyes searching yours, mapping every hurt. You meet his gaze, your own filling with tears, and the dam breaks. He gathers you into his arms, holding…